The Gift
by BandBfan24
Summary: Stephanie receives a gift, but not from the intended gift giver. Babe fic. Rated for language and possible smut. Read and review please. NOW COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. This story is my version of one for House, MD and was written by my all-time favorite fanfiction writer, Mishy-Mo. Her story was entitled Quarry. I put a Plum Series twist on it because I thought it would fit the Ranger/Steph/Morelli triangle so well. It's not very nice to Morelli at the beginning but turns out to be Morelli friendly.

MAJOR spoilers for Twelve Sharp

Rated for Language and possible smut. I haven't decided yet.

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from Janet Evanovich's stories does not belong to me and I must confess neither does this story idea. Thanks, Mishy. You are the greatest. I hope I do you proud.

**The Gift**

Morelli had gone to Steph's apartment to gather some clothes to take back to his house for her when he spotted it.

'It' was a jewelry box.

It was lying on the floor underneath the chair. Sheer coincidence was the only reason that he saw it. A jewelry box was out of place in Steph's apartment. She didn't wear that much 'real' jewelry, so he decided to investigate.

When he opened the box, it revealed a necklace with a pendent of the Wonder Woman logo. The pendent was made of what looked to be sapphires, rubies and diamonds. The 'WW' itself was clearly made of gold and the necklace attached at the side points. It was impressive and he knew because of its appearance that it had to be real and expensive.

_What the hell?_ He thought to himself before he saw the small card stuck in the box along with the necklace.

**Someday I hope you'll be **_**MY**_** Wonder Woman. Carlos.**

Morelli's anger level went through the roof. That… his mind reeled with all of the profane names he could think of to describe 'Carlos' Manoso aka Ranger aka the man who was buying jewelry for his, Morelli's, girlfriend. _She's mine!_ Rang through Morelli's head.

He'd never seen Steph as upset, about anything, as she had been when Ranger had been shot. She'd told him that she loved him and he suspected that she loved Ranger too. But she'd told him that she loved him and there was no way he was going to give her up. He wouldn't let Ranger win and take her away from him. He was tempted to shove the necklace, box and all, down Manoso's throat, but then he had a better idea.

Morelli put the jewelry box in his pocket, picked up the bag he'd packed for _his_ girlfriend and left Steph's apartment.

He made a quick stop on his way home to the post office.

oOoOoOo

"One Ranger is all you'll ever need." Ranger told her as she sat beside him in his home office.

Once she'd swallowed the birthday cake he'd fed her, she pushed back her hair to show him her pendent.

"And one Wonder Woman is all you'll ever need." She told him with a grin. His blank face appeared instantly.

"Where did you get that?" He asked calmly, blank face firmly in place.

"Morelli gave it to me." She said proudly. Her head was down, looking at the pendent, so she missed the look of anger that broke through at her words.

"Morelli?" He asked incredulously.

"Yes, Joe gave it to me." She defended. "He said that I was his Wonder Woman after my part in helping to rescue Julie. He told me that he was proud of me."

"I'm proud of you too Babe and very grateful."

Ranger didn't say anything else on the subject, but turned to eat some of the food from the tray she'd carried in. _I'm going to kill him!_ Ranger thought angrily. _That mother fucking, son of a bitch!_

Due, only to his years of military training, Ranger kept his reaction and thoughts to himself. Once Steph had left his apartment he cursed and actually threw something across the room and then cursed some more as his ribs protested.

He didn't know what to do. That conniving cop somehow got his gift for his Babe and passed it off as his own. It must have fallen out of his pocket when he'd been shot and Morelli had found it. Can't blame him, really. Ranger thought. He actually chuckled when he imagined the look on Morelli's face after he'd read the card that went with the gift.

Ranger was still contemplating, what to do the next day when he got a package in the mail. It was a jewelry box… the jewelry box. Inside was the card but his own hand-written words had been marked out and Morelli had written him a message on the back of it.

**She's mine and I won't let you take what's mine away from me.**

You would think that anger would be the first reaction Ranger had. It wasn't. Despite the pain to his ribs, he laughed. It was going to be easier than he thought. Morelli couldn't help but screw things up with Steph.

And just like that… he had a plan. He picked up the phone to execute it.

TBC

If you look in profile at the avatar you will see the Wonder Woman I had in mind for the pendant. Then imagine the blue section done in sapphires, the red done in rubies, the stars in diamonds. That's my vision for the pendent.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. This story is my version of one for House, MD and was written by my all-time favorite fanfiction writer, Mishy-Mo. Her story was entitled Quarry. I put a Plum Series twist on it because I thought it would fit the Ranger/Steph/Morelli triangle so well. It's not very nice to Morelli at the beginning but turns out to be Morelli friendly.

MAJOR spoilers for Twelve Sharp

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from Janet Evanovich's stories does not belong to me and I must confess neither does this story idea. Thanks, Mishy. You are the greatest, I hope I do you proud.

**The Gift**

"Yo." His Babe said when she answered her phone.

"Babe that's my line."

"Can't we share?" She asked and he could hear the smile in her voice.

"I'll share, but only with you Babe."

"How are you feeling?"

"Better. Not so stiff." He paused for just a second. "But if you come see me to today I'm sure the stiffness will be back."

Ranger chuckled when he heard her intake of breath at his innuendo. He knew there would be a flush creeping up her face and she would have that unfocused look in her eyes.

"Babe." He called softly.

"Huh? What?" He could picture he shake her head to clear the fog his suggestive words caused. "Why did you call me?"

"I had a question for you. Do you think you could ask Morelli where he got the pendent for you? I'd like to check in to getting one for Julie since she ended up saving my life."

"That's so sweet Ranger. I'll ask him tonight." She promised.

"Thanks Babe." He said and then waited a beat. "I'll talk to you later, bye."

"Bye." She mumbled and pulled the phone away to look at it before she hung up. Ranger had actually told her bye. Steph had to look out the window to make sure that the sky was still blue and the grass was green.

oOoOoOo

Later that evening, Steph remembered to ask Morelli about the necklace.

"Joe, where did you get my necklace?" He immediately choked on the Pino's meatball sub he was eating. She pounded on his back.

"Sorry, I swallowed wrong." He finally managed to choke out. "Why do you want to know?"

"I thought that I would see if they had Wonder Woman earrings to for Julie." The lie came unbidden to her lips. She wasn't sure why she lied, but she did. "I thought it would be a nice thank you since she was the one who actually stopped Scrog and saved both mine and Ranger's life."

"I don't remember the name of the jewelry store off the top of my head, but I'll look at my receipt later." He'd told her.

But he never did look at the receipt. He couldn't, of course, since he didn't have the receipt. Morelli distracted her with his bedroom eyes after they'd finished eating and she'd forgotten to ask again.

A few days later, after she'd a cleaning crew had cleaned up the blood from her apartment, she moved back in to her apartment. Much to Morelli's protests. Although, he had helped her carry her things back to her place.

When they entered her place, she'd carried Rex to his place in the kitchen and stopped when she saw something on the counter. It was a jewelry box.

"What's this Joe?" She asked as she walked into the living room and opened the box to find it empty. His face looked a little funny before he answered her.

"It's a… the… a… box your necklace came in." He told her haltingly. "I must have left it here when I came to pack up your things.'

Danger, danger, Stephanie Plum! Her spidey sense kicked and went on alert. Okay, so she knew she wasn't in any danger, but boy the alarm bells were going off.

"You never did tell me where you bought this." She said as she averted her face and went to unpack her clothes. She dropped the jewelry box on the coffee table as she headed into the living room. Once in the bedroom, she snuck a peek back out at Joe just in time to see him dive for the jewelry box and rip it open. He sighed in relief as if he'd been expecting to see something inside.

PING! PING! PING! Her alarm bells went off.

She snuck back into the bedroom and wondered what the hell was going on. Steph made some noise before she re-entered the living room. When she did, the jewelry box was in the same place she'd dropped it and Morelli was back to where he had been.

"Thanks for helping me bring my stuff back over here Joe." She pretended to yawn. "I'll see you tomorrow okay?"

"Cupcake." He walked towards her. "I can stay."

"No, I'm really tired and I just want to settle back in."

"I'm good at settling." He lowered his voice and softened his eyes.

"Thanks, but I really am tired and I just started my period today, so I'd rather be alone." She lied smoothly and picked up the jewelry box from the coffee table. "I'm just gonna put this in my dresser drawer in case I need to take off my necklace.

"Alright Cupcake." He kissed her and left most reluctantly.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. This story is my version of one for House, MD and was written by my all-time favorite fanfiction writer, Mishy-Mo. Her story was entitled Quarry. I put a Plum Series twist on it because I thought it would fit the Ranger/Steph/Morelli triangle so well. It's not very nice to Morelli at the beginning but turns out to be Morelli friendly.

MAJOR spoilers for Twelve Sharp

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from Janet Evanovich's stories does not belong to me and I must confess neither does this story idea. Thanks, Mishy. You are the greatest, I hope I do you proud.

**The Gift**

The next morning Steph began her covert investigation. There was something about her necklace that Joe didn't want her to know.

She checked at several jewelry stores and asked about the necklace. No one had one like it and didn't even carry anything similar. The last place she visited did suggest another store that did custom designs and thought that her necklace looked like the jewelers work.

"May I help you?" An older gentleman asked.

"Yes. I was wondering if your store carried this necklace." She gestured to the necklace around her neck. "I was looking for one as a gift.

"No we don't carry anything like that." He told and her shoulders slumped. "But, we did create that one by special request."

"You did?" She asked in surprise.

"Yes, Mr. Manoso has excellent taste doesn't he?"

"Mr. Manoso?" She repeated dumbly.

"Yes…" The man looked at her curiously. "He did give you that, didn't he?"

"Yes, yes, of course he did." Stephanie sputtered. "I'm just so used to everyone calling him by his street name, Ranger, that when you called him Mr. Manoso it threw me off. I always think of his father when I here someone say Mr. Manoso."

She clamped her mouth shut to cut off her rambling.

"I see." He nodded his head in understanding. "My father has been gone for twenty years and I still am tempted to look for him when someone calls me Mr. Scarletti."

"So, you said that this was a special request item." She prompted. "Ranger can be kind of closed mouthed about the details."

"He was very open with me when he came in to the store. He had a picture of the Wonder Woman symbol and wanted me to create one in jewels. He was very particular and even helped me pick out the diamonds and other precious gems. Mr. Manoso told me that it was for someone very special and that he wanted to let, I assume you, know how much you meant to him. He even took the time to write out a card that he wanted in put in the box before we wrapped it up for him." Mr. Scarletti informed her proudly. "I hope you are enjoying the necklace."

"Yes." Steph said distractedly and then focused in on him again. "I am. It's very special to me. Was it very expensive? I hope that he didn't spend too much on me."

"I don't think that it would be appropriate for me to tell you." He sniffed, but then leaned over the counter and spoke conspiratorially. "I will tell you though that the necklace is 24-carat gold and the pendent is made from nearly flawless diamonds. The sapphires and rubies are of exceptional quality as well. It would probably be a good idea for you to have it insured, if Mr. Manoso hasn't already."

"I… uh… I'll check with him and see if he has. Thank you for your time Mr. Scarletti." Stephanie told him.

Steph got her self out of the store as quickly as she could and sat in her car. That lying, thieving scum! She shouted to the car. He not only stole the necklace from Ranger somehow, but he'd tried to pass off another man's gift as his own. A gift, that Ranger had made especially for her. That was a fact she wasn't quite ready to think about, so she focused in on what Morelli had done and the fact that Ranger had seen the necklace on her and hadn't said a word when she'd told him where she got it. _WTF was that about?_

Well she had things that she needed to do and people that she needed to see. She put the car in gear and headed towards Haywood.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. This story is my version of one for House, MD and was written by my all-time favorite fanfiction writer, Mishy-Mo. Her story was entitled Quarry. I put a Plum Series twist on it because I thought it would fit the Ranger/Steph/Morelli triangle so well. It's not very nice to Morelli at the beginning but turns out to be Morelli friendly.

MAJOR spoilers for Twelve Sharp

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from Janet Evanovich's stories does not belong to me and I must confess neither does this story idea. Thanks, Mishy. You are the greatest; I hope I do you proud.

**The Gift**

Ranger hung up the phone and waited. The control room had called him to let him know that Stephanie was on her way up to see him. They said that she didn't look right. They thought she might be angry about something. In the pit of his stomach, he felt a knot forming. He would never admit that though. Nervousness was only one of the many emotions that his Babe could cause him to feel.

He opened the door and waited for her to arrive on the elevator.

"Babe." He called when she stepped off the elevator.

"Ranger." She said in an unusually flat tone of voice.

"Coming in?" He stepped back to let her in, but stopped when she shook her head.

"I'm not staying." Steph reached into her bag and pulled something out. "I believe that this is yours."

He saw the jewelry box in her hand and his gaze shot to her neck. She didn't have the necklace on. She knew.

"Babe… I…" He started, but then stopped. He didn't know what to say.

"You don't have to say anything. I know why you asked me to find out where Morelli got the necklace. I figured it out." She said in the same monotone voice. "What I don't understand is why you didn't just tell me?"

"Would you have believed me?" He asked softly.

"Yes, I would have." Her eyes locked on his. "You've never lied to me. Have you?"

"No!" He said forcefully. "There are things that I can't tell you or I don't want you to know, so I might try to redirect you, but I would _never_ lie to you."

"I know that." She held out the jewelry box to him and forced him to take it. "I found out from a jeweler today that someone requested that this be made especially for someone. That the buyer told him that the person it was for was very special to him. I'm sorry that you were delayed in giving it to that person, but hopefully when the time is right you can give it to them."

"Babe." He took the box and opened it to see the necklace inside. Ranger snapped it closed. He didn't know what to say. Was she rejecting his gift?

"I think that there are some things that need to be settled before you can give that gift." She paused and cleared her throat. "I have a question."

"Anything." He assured her.

"Did you put the jewelry box on my kitchen counter?" He nodded his response.

"How did you get it back?"

"He mailed it to me." Ranger said quietly.

"Was that the only thing that he mailed back?" She pressed and he froze for a second before he shook his head. "He mailed the card back to you didn't he?"

"How did you know about the card?" He asked, but then figured it out for himself. "Mr. Scarletti?"

"Yes and I want you to give it to me."

"Now?" He asked warily. "Don't you think that it should be given with the necklace?"

"You still have it don't you?" Again, he nodded. "The same one that he sent back?" Another nod. "I want it and I want it now."

Ranger stared at her for a moment and looked into her eyes.

"I'm serious Ranger, I want it."

"Why?" He stalled.

"Because, I know that he wrote something on it and I want to know what it is?"

"How do you know…" He began but she stopped him.

"Ricardo Carlos Manoso." She fairly shouted at him. "Stop stalling and give me the damn card. I know that he wrote something on it. He sent the empty box back to you. Morelli would have written something on the card, he wouldn't have been able to stop himself. It was probably something mean and taunting."

"If you know that then why?" He asked. He didn't want her to have to see what he wrote. Then again, why did he bother to hold it back? Because, he didn't want her hurt anymore than she already was.

"Because I'm going to shove it down his throat after I ask him what the hell he was thinking just before I kick him in the balls and out of my life for good." She told him angrily and Ranger had to fight not to laugh. "Don't you dare laugh at me. This is not for your entertainment."

"I'm not laughing at you." He assured her quickly. "I just wish I could see Morelli's face when you give him hell."

She sighed heavily and decided to not fight fair. "Ranger, could you get me the card that he sent back to you. Please. I need to see it and handle this myself. Please, just let me have it."

"Okay." He disappeared into the apartment and returned with the card in his hand. "Before I give this to you, I have something that I want to say."

"Alright." She crossed her arms.

"The reason I didn't want to give it to you is because I don't want to see you hurt." Ranger told her softly. "Morelli was angry when he wrote this and I can't blame him. I would be angry if I found what he did."

"Where did he find it?"

"I can only assume that he found it in your apartment after I'd been shot. I had it in my pocket." He took a deep breath. "The plan was for me to get you and Julie out and then find a quiet moment to give it to you."

"Okay." She said and held out her hand.

"Don't you have questions about the necklace?" He asked in disbelief.

"Not right now." She rolled her eyes. "I know, it's not like me, but I figure that what you have to say about it, you can tell me when you give it back to me. If you still want to give it to me that is."

"You'll accept it?"

"Probably." She shrugged and held out her hand for the card.

"Probably?"

"Depends on whether you still want to give it to me or not." Steph held up her hand as he started to speak. "Just give me the card and let me handle things on my end. We can get together later and talk and then… we'll see."

"Later when?" He pushed and placed the card in her hand. She closed her hands around it but didn't look at it.

"You tell me." Steph put the ball back in his court.

"Tonight. I'll have Ella cook up something special for dinner and we can eat here."

"Would five thirty be okay? I have to take care of this and I'll want to change clothes." The current time was one in the afternoon and that should let her accomplish everything that she needed to.

"Five thirty is fine." Ranger reached out to stroke her cheek. "I'll be looking forward to it Babe."

She didn't say anything, but turned to leave. Ranger waited in the doorway of his apartment. Just as the doors of the elevator were about to close, he heard the explosion.

"Mother fucking son of a bitch." She shouted.

He couldn't help but laugh when she used the exact same words as he had and he almost… almost… felt sorry for Morelli as he shut his apartment door and went to make plans for dinner.

TBC

I want to say thanks to everyone who has reviewed. You guys are awesome. I'm really bad about reviewing myself, so I really appreciate and I'm trying to do better with my own reviews. =)bandbi


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. This story is my version of one for House, MD and was written by my all-time favorite fanfiction writer, Mishy-Mo. Her story was entitled Quarry. I put a Plum Series twist on it because I thought it would fit the Ranger/Steph/Morelli triangle so well. It's not very nice to Morelli at the beginning but turns out to be Morelli friendly.

MAJOR spoilers for Twelve Sharp

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from Janet Evanovich's stories does not belong to me and I must confess neither does this story idea. Thanks, Mishy. You are the greatest, I hope I do you proud.

**The Gift**

Steph continued to curse, under her breath after her initial outburst, the entire way to the garage. Once she got in her car she sat there and stared at Morelli's words. With unbelievable show of self –restraint she refused to flip it over and see what Ranger had written. The surprise of his gift had been ruined and she didn't want his words to be as well. She sat still for several minutes and came up with a plan. Finally, she started her POS of the month and went to put her plan in motion.

The first thing that Steph did was to call Eddie Gazarra, one of her childhood friends and cousin by marriage, to see if he knew of Morelli's whereabouts. With a minimum of hassle, she found out that he was at the station and expected to be there all afternoon working on paperwork. She gave him a few details and listened as he called Morelli a dumb bastard.

The next thing she did was to go to his place and let herself in. She wanted to make sure that there wasn't a single possession of hers left there. There had been a few and she loaded them into her car.

Next, she went to the mall and bought herself a new outfit. An off the shoulder black dress that fit her figure to perfection and a pair of black FMPs with a ribbon tie around the ankle. She also went to her favorite lingerie store, Victoria's secret, to get a new ensemble that included black lacy boy short panties and a strapless bra, to make the most of what curves she had. The dress had a scooped neckline that would also highlight her necklace to perfection, when she got it back from the rightful gift-giver.

Then, she went to her apartment and got ready for dinner with Ranger. Her hair, for once, let itself be arranged with minimum hassle. It fell in soft curls around her shoulders. Makeup, she applied with a light hand. She looked pretty good she thought. Good enough to make her point. Once she was ready and in her dress, she thought about it again and changed out of the dress. She didn't want Morelli to see her in it. For one thing, she didn't want him to know about her plans. For another, she figured that there was no need to rub salt into his wounds. She'd done a lot of thinking over the previous hours since she had left Ranger's and wasn't quite as angry. Oh there was still a lot of anger, but she had to face her own culpability for the situation they were in. So she put on jeans and a button down top so that she wouldn't mess up her hair or makeup.

Then, she put a few things together in an overnight bag. _Just in case!_ She thought wistfully.

Finally, she fed Rex and left her apartment to go to the police station.

TBC

Sorry for the shortness of the chapter but I'll go ahead and post the next one in just a little bit too.

But first, I want to go on little rant…

So I was checking my emails and reading all the wonderful reviews and I came across a review that made me mad. I deleted it and now I wish I hadn't so that I could share it with you word for piss-me-off word. Let's just say it was from gutless wonder who just had to share their thoughts and pity for us Babes who had to go all the way back to Twelve Sharp to find a glimmer of hope for a relationship with Ranger. Then they proceeded to trash Ranger.

Now let me tell you, as you know, I'm a Babe. I also have a penchant for Steph/Merry Men pairings. I don't care for Cupcake stories and so… I just don't read them. Shocking concept right? And I certainly wouldn't post a comment trashing a Cupcake story, especially when I would know going in to it that I wouldn't like it.

The person actually sent their screen name and so I looked them up. Nothing! They haven't written anything and they don't have anything listed in their profile… not a freakin' thing! That just pissed me off even more.

Anyway, I just had to get that off my chest. Thanks for listening, reading, whatever.

=)bandbi


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. This story is my version of one for House, MD and was written by my all-time favorite fanfiction writer, Mishy-Mo. Her story was entitled Quarry. I put a Plum Series twist on it because I thought it would fit the Ranger/Steph/Morelli triangle so well. It's not very nice to Morelli at the beginning but turns out to be Morelli friendly.

MAJOR spoilers for Twelve Sharp

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from Janet Evanovich's stories does not belong to me and I must confess neither does this story idea. Thanks, Mishy. You are the greatest, I hope I do you proud.

******Going in to this I want you to be prepared… Steph does 'confront' Morelli, but it's not going to be what you think. I hope you enjoy it.******

**The Gift**

On the way to the station, she called Eddie to make sure that Joe was still there and he was. Eddie met her at the back door. Steph wanted as little as a scene as possible, but she wanted this done and she didn't want to go to Joe's for the discussion they needed to have. Honestly, she didn't think he would hurt her, but she didn't feel comfortable being alone with him because she knew he was going to be angry.

"Hey Steph." Eddie greeted her.

"Hey Eddie." She gave him a weak smile. "Is he still in his office?"

"Yeah, are you sure that you want to do this here?"

"I'm sure." She nodded.

"Alright, I'll just hang out in the vicinity if you need me." He patted her on the shoulder just before she went into Morelli's office.

"Thanks Eddie, you're the best."

"Hey, don't thank me. Thank you, I just one the pool on how long until you and Joe broke up." He teased and she rolled her eyes before knocking on Morelli's door.

"Enter." She heard him call out, so she did and shut the door behind her.

"Cupcake." He called in surprise and pleasure as he saw her. "Did we have plans?"

"No, Joe we didn't. I had something that I needed to give back to you."

"Why don't you have a seat?" He gestured to a chair across from his desk.

"No thanks, this won't take long." She stepped to the front of his desk and looked down at him.

"What won't?" He looked suspicious.

Steph dropped a bag she had brought with her on one of the chairs.

"What's that?"

"Things of yours that you left in my apartment." She told him and laid something on his desk. It was her key to his house. "Here's your key too."

"What the hell is going on?" He asked, he started to get angry.

"You tell me Joe." She smacked down the card he'd sent to Ranger on his desktop.

"Fuck." He muttered and slumped back in his chair. He avoided his gaze. "He told you."

"No, I found out from the jeweler who made it. He said a Mr. Manoso came in and had it specially made. Imagine my surprise."

"Did he tell you to go to the jeweler's?"

"Again, no. This time it was you. Although, he did ask me to find out where you got it. He told me that he wanted to get one for Julie for saving our lives." She sighed. "A little misdirection on his part. But it was you, Joe, that told me something was wrong."

His head jerked up. "Me?"

"You reacted funny every time I brought it up. You probably shit your pants when you found the jewelry box in my apartment. I saw you grab it and look to see if he sent the card back too.'

Morelli stayed silent for a long time and stared at the wall.

"Why Joe? Why would you do something like that?"

"Because he wants to take you away from me." He exploded and stood up.

"Do you think that he could?" Steph asked calmly.

"Hell yes! He's done it hasn't he?"

"Joe, this time it is all your doing." She took a deep breath. "But doesn't the fact that you believe he could tell you something?"

"What are you trying to say?" He asked in confusion.

"Joe, we're not meant to be together."

"Cupcake." He protested, but she held up her hand.

"We've tried for how long? Years and we still can't make this right. It's both of us." Steph gestured to the card on the desk. "You think of me as a possession. I'm not. I'm not willing to commit to you. We only ever make it a short period of time before we fight and break up. That should tell us something."

"It's because of him."

"It's not him, not directly. It's us. You want me to settle down and I don't want that. I want you to let me and help me fly and you can't. We should have stayed broken up a long time ago, but we love each other so we hang on when we shouldn't. That's why I didn't come in here and shove that card down your throat which was what I had planned on. I thought about it though and I _really_ thought about us. It's not going to ever work."

"It's because of him." Morelli insisted.

"It's me Joe." She told him sadly. "The reasons I said are true Joe, you just have to admit it to yourself. You're right though about some of it being him, indirectly at least."

"But you told me you loved me."

"I did, and I do, but it's not the kind of love that will make either of us happy." She told him. "What I didn't tell you is that I love him too. I don't know if it is the right kind of love either."

"How can you love that…" Steph cut him off.

"Don't. Don't go there Joe. You have your issues with him because of me and for whatever other reasons, but he is a good man and he never bad mouths you to me. He thinks you're a good man and a good cop."

"So what… this is it?"

"Yeah, it has to be." She said sadly and he nodded. He pulled out his keys and removed her apartment key from the ring and handed it to her. "If it is at all possible I would like for us to remain friends. We were good at friends."

"We were." He cocked his head. "Do you think that he'll have a problem with us being friends?"

"I don't know what is up with him and I." She admitted.

"You didn't read the card?" He asked in disbelief.

"Only what you wrote." Morelli laughed. "What?"

"Do you think that he'll have a problem with us being friends?" He repeated and she looked at him funny. Maybe she should have read the card. She made a move to grab it, but he got it first. "Uh-huh."

"Morelli!"

"Plum!" He mocked her. "Answer the question."

"No, once he understood that you and I were only friends and there would be no poaching." She gave him a pointed look. "Then, no, he wouldn't have a problem. He wouldn't ask me to do that."

She reached for the card, but he held it out of reach.

"I think, this…" He waved the card. "You'll have to read when you get the gift."

"But what if he doesn't put the same message on it?" I whined and Morelli laughed sadly.

"Trust me he will." He took a deep breath. "Listen, I'm really sorry. I saw the way that you reacted when he was shot and I knew; deep down, that we were on borrowed time. I can do denial just fine too, I'm from the Burg. Then, when I found the necklace… I guess I just freaked. I've had a lot of time to think lately and you're right about us. I just haven't wanted to face it and when I found the necklace I was forced to. Tell him I'm sorry."

"I will Joe." She blinked back tears. "I never meant to hurt you and I never meant to fall in love with him."

"That's okay Cupcake." He made a face. "It's not really, but you're right. I know you would never do that on purpose."

"You'll find someone Joe. Someone who will want all the things that you want and at the same time as you want them."

"You're a tough act to follow though."

"Just think of all the money you'll save on antacids." She joked and he laughed ruefully.

"Probably not, I'll still worry. I always will Cupcake." He came around the desk and pulled her into his arms. Steph willed herself not to stiffen. "I'll miss you."

"You'll still see me around." She deliberately misinterpreted his words.

"Steph." He said softly.

"I'll miss you too." She hugged him back for a moment and then pulled away.

"So what's next for you?" He asked.

"I have… ummm… dinner plans." She murmured and avoided his eyes.

"Steph, do me a favor?" She looked up at him in surprise. "Like I said, I've done a lot of thinking and I think he could be good for you. You could be good for him too. He might be what you need. I wish it had been me though, but don't hide from him."

_I couldn't hide from him if I tried. He's freakin' Batman!_ Joe burst out laughing, so she assumed she'd said it aloud. She rolled her eyes at him.

"That's not what I meant." He chuckled and then sobered. "You and I both know that you have issues with denial and being obtuse."

"Hey!" She protested.

"What? Am I lying?" He asked and she had to shake her head no. "Something that I've learned over the years is that you can misinterpret things, whether it's intentional or not, I don't know, and then you let that stand in the way of your relationships. Don't do that with him."

"This is just wrong." She shook her head. "YOU giving me relationship advice about HIM."

"Yeah, freaky huh?"

"Just a tad bit." He cupped her cheek with one of his large hands.

"I want you to be happy. I know that I can't do that for you, I really think he can. You just have to let him. Just like I have to let you go."

"Oh Joe." Steph sighed. "I do love you, you know that right?"

"Yes, I know it and I love you. Our love just doesn't…" He trailed off. He pressed a quick and tender kiss to her lips (no tongue) and shooed her from his office. "Now get out of here, I got work to do."

She turned to leave and looked back at him as she reached for the doorknob. "Bye Morelli."

He looked up at her and gave her a tender smile. "See ya' Cupcake."

On legs that were a little less than steady, Steph walked out of his office and away from Joe Morelli. She didn't cry. They'd come to an understanding and actually ended things on good terms. For that, she was grateful and relieved. Joe had been a part of her life for as long as she could remember and she couldn't imagine him not being a part of her life for the rest of it. Sure things would be awkward for a while, but they could get past it.

And the way they'd ended things made it easier to move on towards her future… hopefully.

TBC

So I know that wasn't what everyone was expecting, but let me know what you think.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. This story is my version of one for House, MD and was written by my all-time favorite fanfiction writer, Mishy-Mo. Her story was entitled Quarry. I put a Plum Series twist on it because I thought it would fit the Ranger/Steph/Morelli triangle so well. It's not very nice to Morelli at the beginning but turns out to be Morelli friendly.

MAJOR spoilers for Twelve Sharp

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from Janet Evanovich's stories does not belong to me and I must confess neither does this story idea. Thanks, Mishy. You are the greatest, I hope I do you proud.

**The Gift**

Steph hurried back to her apartment to change for dinner with Ranger. Once she'd gotten dressed, she saw that she still had a few minutes before she had to leave and sat down on the couch to mentally prepare her self.

She thought over what Joe had told her. His words ran through her head.

_I knew; deep down, that we were on borrowed time._

_I think he could be good for you. You could be good for him too. He might be what you need._

_Don't hide from him._

_Something that I've learned over the years is that you can misinterpret things, whether it's intentional or not, I don't know, and then you let that stand in the way of your relationships. Don't do that with him._

_I know that I can't do that for you, I really think he can. You just have to let him._

Could she do all of that?

Yes… she could if it meant she had a chance with Ranger. She looked at the clock on the DVD player and knew she had to leave. Once she double checked that Rex was set, she locked up her apartment and headed to RangeMan.

oOoOoOo

Ranger paced around his apartment like a caged animal. He was nervous. He didn't do nervous, except for the fact that he obviously did.

He'd arranged for dinner. He'd had one of his men go out for flowers and wine. Ella had brought up candles and set the dinner table beautifully. There was soft music playing in the background. He'd showered and changed into jeans and a button down shirt that was the same color as his Babe's eyes. Not to mention it was easier to get in and out of with out causing his ribs too much pain.

He looked at the clock. 5pm. Shit! Thirty minutes to go. His phone rang and he jumped for it and cursed his stupidity for moving too fast. Fuck! His ribs still hurt. That could cause problems if things went the way he wanted tonight. The way he _hoped_ things would go tonight.

"Manoso." He barked into the phone.

"It's Morelli and before you hang up I have something I need to say to you."

"What?" Ranger wasn't sure what the cop wanted, but figured that he would listen.

"First, let me say…" Morelli's voice trailed off and Ranger was sure he muttered something like 'I can't believe I'm fucking doing this'. "I wanted to apologize. I reacted badly when I found the necklace and there is not an excuse for what I did. Badly is an understatement, I pretty much freaked. I'm sorry."

Ranger was dumbfounded. Morelli was actually called to apologize! WTF? He heard the cop chuckle.

"I'd say something smart about rendering you speechless, but you're really not much of a talker anyways." Then Morelli sighed. "Listen, Steph just left here a little while ago. She came to me at my office and we talked things out. I won't cause problems and I won't be poaching. I still love her and I'll always worry about her, but I figure that you have the best chance of making her happy and keeping her safe. Just see that you do."

"Understood." Ranger had to admit that the man must have a set of cast iron balls to call him like that.

"I told her that she shouldn't repeat her past history. That she shouldn't hide from you. I'm going to tell you the same thing. I think you're good for her and she could be good for you. She could make you happy; you just have to let her."

"Morelli." Ranger growled.

"Yeah. Yeah." Morelli actually laughed. "Steph thought it was pretty messed up that I gave her relationship advice too. One more thing, well actually there is two. First, if you haven't already, you need to duplicate the card that came with the necklace."

"Already done." Ranger admitted.

"I told her it would be. She wanted to see it but I wouldn't let her after she slapped it down on my desk." He cleared his throat. "I thought that the message, at least, should be a surprise."

"You mentioned two things."

"Treat her right." Morelli said forcefully. "I'm not going to stand in the way of her happiness or try to mess things up for her, so just be sure that you treat her right. Alright, well that's all."

"Joe." Ranger called before Morelli could hang up.

"Ranger."

"Listen, I…" Ranger had to stop and clear his own throat. "I didn't make it easy for either of you to make your relationship work."

"No. You didn't. Why?"

Ranger thought about it for a moment and decided to tell the truth. "I couldn't help it. She's… I don't know. I couldn't stay away. There's just something about her."

"Yeah, there is. Take care of our girl." Morelli mumbled and hung up.

After he closed his phone, Ranger sat down on a bar stool to wait and contemplated the phone call. He never imagined that Morelli would call and give his blessing. He thought about what Morelli told him.

_You have the best chance of making her happy and keeping her safe._

_Don't hide from her._

_I think you're good for her and she could be good for you. She could make you happy; you just have to let her._

He was torn from his musings by the beep of his cell phone. _Bomber's on her way up._ The text message read. He shut off his phone and went to wait at the apartment door. He went to wait for what he hoped would be his future to come to him… hopefully.

TBC

Yeah I know I'm b**ch for leaving it there, but I honestly can't help it. This is all I have written so far. I've got a couple rough days coming up at work so it will probably be Wednesday before I can post again. ::ducks for cover:: Don't hate me. I'll post as soon as I can. =)bandbi


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I must apologize for not posting this sooner. RL is quite busy at the moment and I haven't had time to write. Everyone has been looking forward to the chapter and I hope it was worth the wait.

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from Janet Evanovich's stories does not belong to me and I must confess neither does this story idea. Thanks, Mishy. You are the greatest, I hope I do you proud.

**The Gift**

Previously… _Ranger was torn from his musings by the beep of his cell phone. _Bomber's on her way up._ The text message read. He shut off his phone and went to wait at the apartment door. He went to wait for what he hoped would be his future to come to him… hopefully._

Ranger heard the ding of the elevator and the woosh of the doors sliding open. Then there she was. He inhaled sharply when he got a look at her. She was beautiful. His Babe's hair was loose and curled softly about her shoulders. The dress was black and hit a couple of inches above her knees. The high heels she wore made her legs look impossibly long. He felt his blood stir at the thought of those legs wrapped around his hips. The dress exposed the creamy skin of her shoulders and just a hint of cleavage.

His blood wasn't the only thing that stirred. He shifted slightly as she walked towards him.

Their eyes met and she smiled at him. That smile that lit up her face. That smile that turned him inside out. That smile that first captivated him. That smile that was his downfall.

He smiled back.

oOoOoOo

Stephanie took a deep breath and stepped off the elevator. And there he was. She had to concentrate so that she didn't stumble when she got her first look at him. His hair was loose around his shoulders. Ranger wasn't in his usual black. His button down shirt was blue and un-tucked. She figured it would be difficult for him to tuck it in because of his ribs. The first few buttons were undone and the color of the shirt was a wonderful contrast to his dark skin. He wore faded blue jeans that showed his long legs and muscled thighs off to perfection. She blinked when she saw that his feet were bare.

Of course, she had seen him naked before on that one glorious night, but she hadn't been focused on his feet. They were long and very masculine. It was definitely true what they said about the size of a man's feet and another part of his anatomy. For some reason, she found it so sexy for him to be standing there in his bare feet. It was such a simple thing, but it seemed so intimate.

She'd almost lost him just a few short weeks ago and yet here he was looking undeniably sexy and alive. Her heart fluttered at the sight of him. Most times when she saw him he was dressed in all black and looked intimidating and aloof, but just then he looked so… normal? No, that wasn't the right word. He looked open and approachable. He didn't look like the Ranger that she was used to. She could get used to this Ranger though.

Stephanie raised her eyes to meet his and smiled at him. He smiled back.

It was a smile that she didn't get to see very often. A full-blown smile… full wattage. He was definitely a good-looking man, but when he smiled like that he was simply gorgeous. It took her breath away.

oOoOoOo

"Babe." He called softly and held out his hand to her. She placed her hand in his and stepped closer to him. Ranger raised her hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss to her palm.

"Hi, Ranger." She said breathlessly.

"Before you come in I want you to do me a favor."

"Anything." She answered automatically.

"Carlos." He kissed her palm again and looked at her with heavy lidded eyes. "Call me Carlos."

"Hi Carlos." She whispered.

"Hi Babe. You look beautiful." He lowered her hand and laced his fingers with hers. "Come on in."

"You're not so bad yourself." She told him as he led her into the apartment and smiled up at him when he closed the door.

"Thanks Babe." He turned her so that she faced him, their bodies were close. "I'm glad you came."

"Me too." She murmured just before he pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Stephanie enjoyed it except for the fact that it was over before it began.

"Would you like a drink?" He asked. If she didn't think it was impossible, she would have sworn that he seemed nervous.

"Sure." She was nervous herself.

"Go on into the living room and I'll bring our drinks." He gave her a gently push towards the living room.

Stephanie wandered towards the living and stopped to look at the dining room table. There were flowers and it looked as if Ella had sent out the good china. Soft music played in the background and the lights were low. She wasn't exactly sure what was going on. It looked as if things were set up for a date. With her? No, it couldn't be because Ranger didn't do relationships. She thought to herself. Then she thought about what Joe had told her about her ability to misinterpret things and her penchant for denial. Maybe it is a date for me, she decided. She could have kicked herself for not reading the card while she had it.

She felt the tingle on the back of her neck just before he spoke.

"Here you go." She turned to see him holding out a glass of wine to her and held one of his own. She watched him as she sipped from her wine and he watched her.

"So…" She said when the silence lasted too long for her. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, but the ribs are still sore." He admitted. Stephanie reached up to touch the small bandage on his neck and felt tears sting her eyes. "I'm okay Babe."

"I know." She blinked to ward off the tears and whispered. "I came so close to losing you."

Ranger took her wine glass and set it, along with his own, on the coffee table. Then he pulled her into his arms and held her as her body trembled.

"Shhh." He soothed. "I'm okay."

"But… you could've…" She began and he stopped her.

"But I didn't. I just got a little dinged up. All three of us made it out." He cleared his throat. "I want to thank you for all you did to save Julie."

"You don't have to thank me." He pulled away slightly to look at her face.

"Yes, Babe, I do. You didn't know my daughter, only that she was my daughter. That was enough for you to help. My just asking you for help was enough for you." He slid his hand into his pocket. "I had this made for you."

He held up the necklace and motioned for her to turn around. She did and held her hair out of the way so he could put it on her. When he was done, she turned back around and smiled up at him.

"Thank you."

"No, thank you. I know you think of me as Batman. To me you are Wonder Woman. The one I know that I can go to if I need anything. You're my superhero." He cupped her hands in his face. "I told you that I'm not emotionally distanced from you. It's so much more than that Babe. I love you Stephanie. I'm in love with you."

"When you were shot…" Stephanie had to stop and steady herself. "When you were shot, I was a wreck. I knew it would be you or Joe that was going to walk through that door. I told Joe that I loved him, but I'm not in love with him. It's not the kind of love it should be or could have been. It's not the kind of love that means everything. Not like..." She paused for a moment. "I didn't tell you."

"Tell me what?" He asked. He needed her to say the words.

"I love you too Carlos." She confessed in a sure voice. Her confession was rewarded with another one of those full blown, heart stopping smiles. She also expected to be rewarded with a kiss, but what she got instead was a hug. Ranger pulled her to him and held her close while he buried his face in hair.

Ranger felt as if a weight had been lifted from him. For someone who was used to being in control, the rush of emotions that flooded him was overwhelming. He wasn't sure what to say and wasn't even sure if he could have talked at that moment. So he held her close to him. She loved him. He suspected that she did, but she'd never said the words. With all that he'd done and seen in his life, her love was more than he could have hoped for.

"I'm in love with you too." She told him. "You mean everything to me."

"Dé gracias a Dios bebé. Usted significa todo a mí también." He whispered and then translated for her. "Thank God Babe. You mean everything to me too."

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: This is it… the final chapter. It's short, but I hope sweet.

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from Janet Evanovich's stories does not belong to me and I must confess neither does this story idea. Thanks, Mishy. You are the greatest, I hope I do you proud.

**The Gift**

Previously… _"I'm in love with you too." She told him._

"_Dé gracias a Dios bebé." He whispered and then translated. "Thank God Babe."_

"So can I have the card now?" She asked and he chuckled.

"Can't wait huh?" He asked, his voice laden with amusement.

"No." She said indignantly. He let her go of her and went to pick something off the coffee table. He handed her the card. With a shaky hand she took it from him and looked down to read it.

**Someday I hope you'll be **_**MY**_** Wonder Woman. Carlos.**

"What… what does this mean? Someone recently told me that I misinterpret things. I don't always do it on purpose and I don't want to get this wrong. So what does this mean?" Stephanie asked. He took her face in his hands.

"Someone recently told me they though I could be good for you and you could be good for me. They said that you could make you happy and that I just had to let you. What I wrote means, Babe, that I want you. I want you and I together, in a relationship, for as long as possible. I want us to try to make each other happy. I'm willing to anything that I can to make that a reality if that's something that you want to."

"But…" He pressed his mouth to hers to stop her words. The kiss was sweet, soft and seductive. It was tender. It was loving. And it showed her without words how he felt. She'd never felt so cherished before.

"What about marriage and a family?" She asked when he released her lips. "I don't know if I want that, but I want that option. You said you didn't do anything stupid like that."

"We'll take it as it comes. Although, you should know I don't think it's stupid anymore, not with you. If that helps." His lips quirked.

"It does." She smiled up at him.

"So…" His words held a question.

"Yes. I'll be with you in whatever way _we_ decide, for as long as possible and I'll do whatever it takes too."

Ranger's mouth crashed down on hers and the kiss was so different from the last. This kiss was hot and needy. It told her how much he wanted her and the joy that he felt. It was an attack on all her senses.

Tongues teased.

Hands roamed and stroked.

Teeth nipped.

Lips caressed and soothed.

Arms held and clung.

Bodies molded and strained.

Pulses hammered.

Finally, Ranger lifted his head and pressed his forehead to hers. They both had to catch their breath.

"Thank you Babe." He told her quietly. "Thank you for my gift."

"But I didn't give you one."

"Yes, Babe, you did. You gave me you." He said solemnly. "And it's the greatest gift I could ever hope to receive."

The End

So, yeah, that's it for this one. I think that this is a good place to stop. As I was writing, it just seemed _right _to stop it here. I hope you've enjoyed it. Thanks to all the Babes who have read and reviewed and encouraged. YOU ROCK!!! =)bandbi


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